Every business owner hopes to one day reach the point where their business is expanding so much that it is time to bring in more people. If anything, having to hire staff is a sign of success and should be welcomed!
That being said, for those of us who have spent so much time running a business by ourselves, it can be challenging to determine the right time to bring another person on board. It can also be quite a stressful thing to bring an outsider into a business that you have worked so hard to build and grow. Hiring staff means taking the time to teach them about your work, giving them the time to learn, and trusting them enough to be another face that represents your brand.
If you are wondering whether or not you should hire someone to come work for or with you, and what exactly you should be looking for in an employee, then here are a few things to ask yourself.
Do you have to turn work away?
The first significant sign that it’s time to hire someone to help with the workload is when you can no longer manage the workload on your own. Again, it’s a good thing to have so much work that you can’t possibly do it all by yourself! However, turning away too much work will cause a few problems.
First of all, you will be losing out on money. Any successful business needs to grow in profits significantly, and naturally, turning away business is a very easy way to lose profits.
Secondly, it gives a bad image to your business. Whether they are repeat or new customers, being told that you cannot help them, for now, will likely send them straight to your biggest competitors.
No customer likes being told that they will not be served, and so, the chances are that they will not return to your business and will not speak fondly of it to those around them, nor on the internet. It is such an incredible shame to have spent so much time, effort, and money starting up your business in the hopes of gaining clients, only to send them away.
If this is the case for you, then even a part-time employee could be highly beneficial. Your business will keep its professional and eager image, your clients will remain satisfied, and your business can only grow from there, as opposed to failing.
Are you receiving complaints from your customers?
Turning away business may not be the only way in which you are letting your customers down. If you are understaffed, then you may not be able to complete the work that you have promised on time or to your usual standard of quality. If that is the case, then the complaints from your customers will start rolling in.
Sadly, nowadays, one negative comment can go a long way. In the world of social media and rating websites, it is easier than ever to leave an opinion online, about anything! Your customers will no doubt already have a lot of positive things to say about your growing business; however, even one terrible review or comment could impede your chances of getting new customers.
Again, this will significantly tarnish your business’ image and reputation, making it harder for you to get new customers and keep the existing ones.
Suppose the reason why your clients are complaining is expressly due to the fact that you are incapable of completing certain tasks on time and in top quality. In that case, having someone there to share the workload could mean the difference between your business continuing to grow and failing!
In many cases, even being able to promise your clients that a new employee will be taken on soon will give them the reassurance that they need to stick with your business.
Are you overworking yourself?
As well as you may be doing on your own, there is no way that you will be able to keep it up for long in a growing business. Being over-tired is no way to run a business. You have a far greater chance of missing more deadlines, forgetting important things, being more irritable and stressed with your clients, as well as the other long list of health issues that you could be causing yourself!
If you do not have time to run your business smoothly as well as take care of yourself, then it is definitely time to bring in some extra hands. Someone there to share the workload with you should free up more of your time and allow you to share the stress of the job.
Having an employee or more means that you will still be able to be in complete control of your business while also being able to take much-needed breaks and keep up with your mental and physical health.
Are you ready to expand?
As previously stated, needing to hire employees for your business is a good thing! It means that your business is successfully growing and could be ready to expand into something more.
Maybe you have new ideas that could help the business move forward and grow into something bigger and better. In that case, you will absolutely need employees. No growing business can work with one person alone. An employee can help to keep your current business running while you work hard to refine and develop your ideas to expand the business.
Can you afford to hire one or more employees?
Of course, the main telling point that you are ready to hire employees is that you are capable of doing so financially! Needing an employee to help to expand your business is a great idea, but there is no point in taking someone on unless you can actually afford to have them working for you.
If you can afford to hire one or more staff members, then remember that they are an investment. The money that you spend on their salaries should come back to you with a profit, as long as the business keeps going steady, and even better if it grows.
What should I look for in an employee?
Motivation
The very first thing that you should look for in staff members is motivation. Remember that you are bringing this person or these people into your business to help it grow even more.
They will need to be willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to help run an expanding business. A staff member that has no motivation to work or to go the extra mile will not bring anything useful into your business and could deter customers.
Willingness to learn
Whatever business you are running, there will be things to learn. Even if the employee that you are considering is fully trained in the field in question, as it is your business, there will be a certain way in which you want things done.
That means that you will need to spend time with your employees as they start their training. This could take some time, so employing someone who has a genuine interest and will to learn will make things go a lot quicker and easier!
Punctuality
As stated, one of the reasons that bringing another employee into your business is so valuable is to help you meet the deadlines that you have set with your clients and to give you some extra time to do other things.
With that in mind, you will definitely want a punctual employee. Remember that they are not only helping you; they are also there to represent your business. Their punctuality will help your business to maintain a professional and trustworthy brand.
Genuine interest in the business’ future
When hiring a new employee, you will want someone who has a genuine interest in the brand and its future. It could be that this employee stays with you and your business for a long time; therefore, they should genuinely want to help grow your business and achieve new goals.
Dependability
Finally, you will need staff who you can depend on. A lot of things go wrong and can change quickly in business. Therefore, it is extremely important to hire an employee who is capable of handling the various changes and challenges that they will face in the job.
You should also be able to rely on them when you need them! Of course, this does not mean that you should expect someone to be available to the business 24/7, but you should aim for someone who will devote their working hours to helping the business.
